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Masha Karp is a political journalist and a leading scholar on the work of George Orwell. She worked for the BBC Russian Service between 1991 and 2009, first as producer and then as Features editor. A member of the St. Petersburg Writers' Union and the Literary Translators Guild in Russia, she translated Animal Farm and its original preface 'The Freedom of the Press' into Russian. Her biography of Orwell, the first to be published in Russia, was a finalist for the ABS Literary Prize. She is a member of the board of the Orwell Society and the editor of its journal.
Throughout Orwell and Russia, the author excels at pinpointing the crossovers between Orwell’s lived experience, Soviet history and her own deep understanding of the Soviet system. * Rights in Russia * In her brilliant and informative book, Masha Karp suggests that not much has changed and that the Russia of today under President Putin proves the point that Orwell made following his experience during the Spanish Civil War and his comments in his controversial list of 1949 where he names people in England ‘sympathetic to communism’.' -- Richard Blair, George Orwell’s adopted son, Patron of The Orwell Society and member of The Orwell Foundation Council In George Orwell and Russia, Masha Karp explores the relationship between totalitarianism, as imagined by Orwell, and totalitarianism, as it really existed in Soviet Russia. As Russia slides backwards into a new form of authoritarian dictatorship, this book is a timely reminder of what came before. -- Anne Applebaum, Staff writer for The Atlantic and author of 'Gulag, A History' Karp's Russian view of Orwell is unorthodox and makes a novel case for the continuing relevance of this controversial writer in the age of Putin. -- Michael Scammell, Author of 'Koestler: The Literary and Political Odyssey of a Twentieth Century Skeptic' Masha Karp's new book offers a timely and important insight into how Europe's largest country has descended in the 21st century into a truly Orwellian reality - and a warning against failing to recognise such obvious signs of danger in the future. A must-read. * - Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian politician, historian, journalist; political prisoner since April 2022, arrested for his anti-war speech at the Arizona House of Representatives; winner of 2022 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize awarded by PACE * In George Orwell and Russia, Masha Karp works wonders in explaining his mirabilia of imaginative insight as she charts how Orwell’s hard-won experience of collectivism’s corruptions enabled him to conjure a terrifying world whose numerous catchphrases are bywords in the cultural lexicon. This outstanding, path-breaking book should be read by all those who care about the Soviet past, agonize about the Russian present, and worry about the world’s future. * John Rodden, Author of 'Becoming George Orwell: Life and Letters, Legend and Legacy' * In her new book, veteran BBC Russian service journalist Masha Karp carefully documents and analyzes the place of Russia in the evolution of George Orwell’s political philosophy. It is a valuable addition to the voluminous literature on Orwell … This important book will appeal to students of literature, political philosophy, and Soviet history. * Slavic Review * [Karp] relishes the details of exactly how, when, and what Orwell would have learned about Soviet Russia, and how his attitudes towards Russia changed over time, especially in relation to his continued belief in the ideals of socialism... her book is most impressive on account of how judiciously she selects her material, erring on the side of factual accuracy and abundance. * Owen Boynton, Meduza * Valuable for those interested in literature, political philosophy, and Soviet history. * CHOICE * Compelling study... * The Russian Review * George Orwell and Russia is exceptional in adding new depth to Orwell's story. * Chartist *
